Yahoo! Games

Michael Finewax

The Week Ahead

Phoenix not rising

It’s the shortest week of the schedule with the All-Star Game on Sunday in Ottawa. Montreal and Detroit finish the week on Wednesday with everyone else done by Tuesday at the latest, so players not in the All-Star game will get at least six days off as the schedule resumes on Tuesday the 31st.

I’m in Phoenix for the week and have gone to two games, seeing the Coyotes crush the Avalanche 6-1 on Martin Luther King Day and having a great time with my cousins Gabrielle and Jacob, then watching Detroit defeat the Coyotes 3-2 in a shootout and very exciting game Thursday. There were a lot of Detroit fans at the game Thursday and the whooping and hollering after their win in the hallways was something to behold.

Now to The Week Ahead.

WEEK OF JANUARY 23-29

2 Games –Columbus, Detroit, Edmonton, Nashville, New York Islanders, Ottawa, St. Louis, San Jose, Toronto, Winnipeg

Jonas Hiller had a terrific seven days last week, giving up only three goals in three games as the Ducks were victorious in two and lost in overtime 1-0 in the other. Bobby Ryan has been hot of late with seven points in his last seven games. Kyle Palmieri was sent to the minors and hopefully this will be the last time as he is close to sticking with the Ducks. He has 31 points in 23 AHL games so it is just a matter of time until he sticks with the big club because the talent is obviously there. Jeff Deslauriers will continue to backup Hiller as Dan Ellis is gone for a month with a torn groin muscle. Ryan Getzlaf finally broke out with a four assist night on Sunday so hopefully he is once again ready to lead the Ducks.

BOSTON

Games this week

@ Washington

Notes

Joe Corvo has been in a slump of late with one assist in his last 11 games so he has been put on the third defensive pairing and is has averaged a little over 14 minutes in his last three games, while going minus-two. Coach Claude Julien called out Nathan Horton at the beginning of the week for his lack of shots on goal and Horton responded on Tuesday with a pair of goals. Brad Marchand returned to the Boston lineup on Thursday after serving his five game suspension for his hit on the Canucks Sami Salo. He was held off the scoresheet. Marc Savard is still battling post-concussion syndrome and it looks like his career is over.

BUFFALO

Games this week

@ New Jersey

Notes

Christian Ehrhoff (upper body) has begun practicing again and could return to the Buffalo lineup as early as January 21. Ryan Miller continues to struggle as he has an 11-14-2 record with a 3.16 GAA and a .897 save percentage. His GAA and save percentage are 43rd and 40th overall in the NHL and that is not good at all if you drafted him. There are only two Sabres in the plus column with Marc-Andre Gragnani at plus-11 and Nathan Gerbe at plus-three. Robyn Regehr is a team-worst minus-13.

CALGARY

Games this week

vs. San Jose

Notes

Calgary will be rested on Tuesday when they face a tired San Jose team who play in Edmonton the previous night. Curtis Glencross suffered a knee injury that will keep him on the sidelines until at least the All-Star break. Blake Comeau is having a terrible year and to get him going, the Flames have moved him up to the second line with Olli Jokinen and Glencross, at least until Glencross got hurt. The Flames put Michael Cammalleri alongside Jarome Iginla on the first unit. Alex Tanguay (upper body) has not played since December 20 but has begun skating again. There is no timetable for his return. Brendan Morrison could return as early as January 21 from an upper body injury that has kept him on the shelf since January 5.

CAROLINA

Games this week

vs. Winnipeg

Notes

Joni Pitkanen (knee/concussion) is still not skating but the Hurricanes are happy with his progress. He opted for knee surgery in early January while suffering from the concussion and that will keep him out of the lineup until the beginning of February. He has been out of action since December 6 with the concussion. Cam Ward has been great of late, allowing two or less goals in his last six contests. Jeff Skinner returned to the lineup this past week after missing 16 games with a concussion. In his second game back, he took a hard shot from Brooks Orpik of the Penguins and was forced to the quiet room but was okay to go and returned to action later in the game.

CHICAGO

Games this week

vs. Nashville

Notes

The Blackhawks play Nashville on Tuesday for their only game of the week while the Predators will be tired as they are home to Columbus on Monday. It’s the second half of a back-to-back series with the Predators so look for Jamal Mayers, Steve Montador and/or John Scott to add to their penalty minute totals. Normally Daniel Carcillo would be on the list but a hit from behind on the Oilers’ Tom Gilbert netted him a seven game suspension and a season-ending knee injury. Ben Smith is back with the big team and will replace Carcillo on the roster. Patrick Sharp (wrist) will return after the All-Star break. Andrew Shaw has taken full advantage of his opportunity with Chicago and has four goals in seven games.

COLORADO

Games this week

vs. Minnesota

Notes

The Avalanche are a perfect 7-0 in shootouts this season and have won 10 in a row dating back to last year. They are only one game short of the record 11 straight held by the 2005-06 Dallas Stars who had an amazing year from Jussi Jokinen in the shootout that season. The Avs are also 18-1 in their last 19 shootouts. That is truly amazing. They are 12-for-20 this season in the shootout while Semyon Varlamov and Jean-Sebastien Giguere have given up only four goals in 22 shots. The Avs are 16-5-2 in one goal games, the best in the NHL. Matt Duchene (knee) has been out since December 29 and still has not started skating. Radek Martinek will not return this season because of post-concussion symptoms. He has been out of action since October 21.

COLUMBUS

Games this week

@ Nashville, @ Tampa Bay

Notes

The Blue Jackets will be tired when they play their last game before the All-Star break as they are in Tampa Bay to face a rested Lightning squad after playing in Nashville on Monday. Colton Gillies was claimed off waivers from Minnesota this past week and picked up an assist in his first game as a Blue Jacket, giving him three points on the season. R.J. Umberger is on injured reserve with concussion-like symptoms suffered on January 10. Jeff Carter (separated shoulder) is scheduled to have an MRI on January 20. It is extremely unlikely that he will play before the All-Star break.

DALLAS

Games this week

vs. Anaheim

Notes

Mike Ribeiro has missed the last six games with a slight tear in his knee and will not return to action until after the break. Jamie Benn had an appendectomy and could miss the one game against Anaheim but should be good to go following the All-Star game. He has been the Stars top offensive threat and his absence has been sorely missed. With Ribeiro and Benn out of action, the Stars moved Steve Ott to center. Tomas Vincour has returned to action after missing a month with a torn MCL. Brenden Morrow snapped a 12 game goalless drought but has only eight goals in 40 games after scoring a career high 33 last season. Philip Larsen is due to play on January 20 after missing eight games with a concussion.

DETROIT

Games this week

vs. St. Louis, @ Montreal

Notes

It looks like the 2013 Winter Classic will be between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs at Ann Arbor Michigan, as the University of Michigan’s Stadium can hold 110,000 fans. That would set a new NHL record. Pavel Datsyuk had six assists in three games before being blanked on Tuesday but picked it right back up on Thursday with a couple of assists against Phoenix. The Red Wings set a franchise mark on Monday, winning their 15th straight at home with a 5-0 victory over Buffalo. Nicklas Lidstrom continues to impress at age 41. The seven-time Norris Trophy winner has nine goals and 25 points this season with a plus-21 rating. Todd Bertuzzi is coming to life with four goals and six points in his last four games and now has 24 points to go with a plus-23 rating and 37 penalty minutes to give him lots of fantas value. Johan Franzen added a pair of assists on Thursday and now has 40 points in 47 games.

It’s the shortest week of the schedule with the All-Star Game on Sunday in Ottawa. Montreal and Detroit finish the week on Wednesday with everyone else done by Tuesday at the latest, so players not in the All-Star game will get at least six days off as the schedule resumes on Tuesday the 31st.

I’m in Phoenix for the week and have gone to two games, seeing the Coyotes crush the Avalanche 6-1 on Martin Luther King Day and having a great time with my cousins Gabrielle and Jacob, then watching Detroit defeat the Coyotes 3-2 in a shootout and very exciting game Thursday. There were a lot of Detroit fans at the game Thursday and the whooping and hollering after their win in the hallways was something to behold.

Now to The Week Ahead.

WEEK OF JANUARY 23-29

2 Games –Columbus, Detroit, Edmonton, Nashville, New York Islanders, Ottawa, St. Louis, San Jose, Toronto, Winnipeg

Jonas Hiller had a terrific seven days last week, giving up only three goals in three games as the Ducks were victorious in two and lost in overtime 1-0 in the other. Bobby Ryan has been hot of late with seven points in his last seven games. Kyle Palmieri was sent to the minors and hopefully this will be the last time as he is close to sticking with the Ducks. He has 31 points in 23 AHL games so it is just a matter of time until he sticks with the big club because the talent is obviously there. Jeff Deslauriers will continue to backup Hiller as Dan Ellis is gone for a month with a torn groin muscle. Ryan Getzlaf finally broke out with a four assist night on Sunday so hopefully he is once again ready to lead the Ducks.

BOSTON

Games this week

@ Washington

Notes

Joe Corvo has been in a slump of late with one assist in his last 11 games so he has been put on the third defensive pairing and is has averaged a little over 14 minutes in his last three games, while going minus-two. Coach Claude Julien called out Nathan Horton at the beginning of the week for his lack of shots on goal and Horton responded on Tuesday with a pair of goals. Brad Marchand returned to the Boston lineup on Thursday after serving his five game suspension for his hit on the Canucks Sami Salo. He was held off the scoresheet. Marc Savard is still battling post-concussion syndrome and it looks like his career is over.

BUFFALO

Games this week

@ New Jersey

Notes

Christian Ehrhoff (upper body) has begun practicing again and could return to the Buffalo lineup as early as January 21. Ryan Miller continues to struggle as he has an 11-14-2 record with a 3.16 GAA and a .897 save percentage. His GAA and save percentage are 43rd and 40th overall in the NHL and that is not good at all if you drafted him. There are only two Sabres in the plus column with Marc-Andre Gragnani at plus-11 and Nathan Gerbe at plus-three. Robyn Regehr is a team-worst minus-13.

CALGARY

Games this week

vs. San Jose

Notes

Calgary will be rested on Tuesday when they face a tired San Jose team who play in Edmonton the previous night. Curtis Glencross suffered a knee injury that will keep him on the sidelines until at least the All-Star break. Blake Comeau is having a terrible year and to get him going, the Flames have moved him up to the second line with Olli Jokinen and Glencross, at least until Glencross got hurt. The Flames put Michael Cammalleri alongside Jarome Iginla on the first unit. Alex Tanguay (upper body) has not played since December 20 but has begun skating again. There is no timetable for his return. Brendan Morrison could return as early as January 21 from an upper body injury that has kept him on the shelf since January 5.

CAROLINA

Games this week

vs. Winnipeg

Notes

Joni Pitkanen (knee/concussion) is still not skating but the Hurricanes are happy with his progress. He opted for knee surgery in early January while suffering from the concussion and that will keep him out of the lineup until the beginning of February. He has been out of action since December 6 with the concussion. Cam Ward has been great of late, allowing two or less goals in his last six contests. Jeff Skinner returned to the lineup this past week after missing 16 games with a concussion. In his second game back, he took a hard shot from Brooks Orpik of the Penguins and was forced to the quiet room but was okay to go and returned to action later in the game.

CHICAGO

Games this week

vs. Nashville

Notes

The Blackhawks play Nashville on Tuesday for their only game of the week while the Predators will be tired as they are home to Columbus on Monday. It’s the second half of a back-to-back series with the Predators so look for Jamal Mayers, Steve Montador and/or John Scott to add to their penalty minute totals. Normally Daniel Carcillo would be on the list but a hit from behind on the Oilers’ Tom Gilbert netted him a seven game suspension and a season-ending knee injury. Ben Smith is back with the big team and will replace Carcillo on the roster. Patrick Sharp (wrist) will return after the All-Star break. Andrew Shaw has taken full advantage of his opportunity with Chicago and has four goals in seven games.

COLORADO

Games this week

vs. Minnesota

Notes

The Avalanche are a perfect 7-0 in shootouts this season and have won 10 in a row dating back to last year. They are only one game short of the record 11 straight held by the 2005-06 Dallas Stars who had an amazing year from Jussi Jokinen in the shootout that season. The Avs are also 18-1 in their last 19 shootouts. That is truly amazing. They are 12-for-20 this season in the shootout while Semyon Varlamov and Jean-Sebastien Giguere have given up only four goals in 22 shots. The Avs are 16-5-2 in one goal games, the best in the NHL. Matt Duchene (knee) has been out since December 29 and still has not started skating. Radek Martinek will not return this season because of post-concussion symptoms. He has been out of action since October 21.

COLUMBUS

Games this week

@ Nashville, @ Tampa Bay

Notes

The Blue Jackets will be tired when they play their last game before the All-Star break as they are in Tampa Bay to face a rested Lightning squad after playing in Nashville on Monday. Colton Gillies was claimed off waivers from Minnesota this past week and picked up an assist in his first game as a Blue Jacket, giving him three points on the season. R.J. Umberger is on injured reserve with concussion-like symptoms suffered on January 10. Jeff Carter (separated shoulder) is scheduled to have an MRI on January 20. It is extremely unlikely that he will play before the All-Star break.

DALLAS

Games this week

vs. Anaheim

Notes

Mike Ribeiro has missed the last six games with a slight tear in his knee and will not return to action until after the break. Jamie Benn had an appendectomy and could miss the one game against Anaheim but should be good to go following the All-Star game. He has been the Stars top offensive threat and his absence has been sorely missed. With Ribeiro and Benn out of action, the Stars moved Steve Ott to center. Tomas Vincour has returned to action after missing a month with a torn MCL. Brenden Morrow snapped a 12 game goalless drought but has only eight goals in 40 games after scoring a career high 33 last season. Philip Larsen is due to play on January 20 after missing eight games with a concussion.

DETROIT

Games this week

vs. St. Louis, @ Montreal

Notes

It looks like the 2013 Winter Classic will be between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs at Ann Arbor Michigan, as the University of Michigan’s Stadium can hold 110,000 fans. That would set a new NHL record. Pavel Datsyuk had six assists in three games before being blanked on Tuesday but picked it right back up on Thursday with a couple of assists against Phoenix. The Red Wings set a franchise mark on Monday, winning their 15th straight at home with a 5-0 victory over Buffalo. Nicklas Lidstrom continues to impress at age 41. The seven-time Norris Trophy winner has nine goals and 25 points this season with a plus-21 rating. Todd Bertuzzi is coming to life with four goals and six points in his last four games and now has 24 points to go with a plus-23 rating and 37 penalty minutes to give him lots of fantas value. Johan Franzen added a pair of assists on Thursday and now has 40 points in 47 games.

EDMONTON

Games this week

vs. San Jose, @ Vancouver

Notes

The Oilers will be tired on Tuesday in Vancouver after playing at home Monday night to the Sharks. Taylor Hall suffered a freak accident in the pre-game warmup Tuesday when he tripped over the puck and was cut for 30 stitches over his eye by the skate of teammate Corey Potter who attempted to jump over him and didn’t quite make it. Jordan Eberle (knee) started practicing with the team and returned to the lineup Thursday. Shawn Horcoff is in a horrible slump with only one goal in his last 23 games.

FLORIDA

Games this week

vs. Philadelphia

Notes

Jose Theodore is back and ready to play after missing a couple of weeks with a knee injury. The Panthers returned Brian Foster who was backing up Scott Clemmensen, to the minors. Marcel Goc has been hot of late with three goals and six points in six games since returning from a concussion which cost him 22 games. Stephen Weiss scored on Wednesday, his first in 16 games. Ed Jovanovski is out six-eight weeks with a broken hand.

LOS ANGELES

Games this week

vs. Ottawa

Notes

Justin Williams is hot of late with seven points in his last five games. Ethan Moreau, who was sent to the minors on December 10th, has yet to play for Manchester with a suspected concussion. It was thought that Anze Kopitar may have suffered a concussion a week ago but that was not the case as he has been playing. He is tied for 17th in NHL scoring with 43 points. Simon Gagne still is not able to do any hockey related activities and he could be gone for the season because of yet another concussion. Jack Johnson was a plus-eight early in the season but is now a team worse minus-seven.

MINNESOTA

Games this week

@ Colorado

Notes

It was thought that Mikko Koivu has a separated shoulder and would miss four-six weeks but there is still a chance that the Wild forward could participate in the All-Star game on January 29. Dany Heatley needs to pick up his pace dramatically if Minnesota hopes to make the playoffs as he has only 13 goals and 30 points in 47 games. That is not what they bargained for when they dealt for him in the off-season. The Wild were leading the NHL in points heading into Thanksgiving with 29 but have fallen on hard times of late as they are now ninth in the West and were tied for 17th overall in the NHL with 51 points.

MONTREAL

Games this week

vs. Detroit

Notes

The Montreal Canadiens host the last game before the All-Star break as they play Detroit in their only game of the week. The Habs continue to be the NHL’s worst on the power play, converting just 22 of 179 opportunities. Rene Bourque faced the Capitals for the first time since he concussed Nicklas Backstrom and got into a fight immediately with Matt Hendricks on his first shift. Scott Gomez returned to action on Saturday and saw 5:02 minutes of power play time as coach Randy Cunneyworth is doing everything he can to get the team out of its doldrums.

NASHVILLE

Games this week

vs. Columbus, @ Chicago

Notes

The Predators are tired on Tuesday when they take on the Blackhawks for the second time in less than a week after playing Columbus the night before. They also play Chicago for the second time in four days so expect Jordin Tootoo and Brian McGrattan to add to their penalty minute totals if there are fisticuffs. Ryan Suter has missed two games with an upper body injury and is hoping to return to the Nashville lineup on Saturday. Craig Smith returned to the Nashville lineup on Tuesday after missing two games with a virus. His ice time has been drastically reduced of late and he only played 10:50 minutes in his return. He was seeing first line minutes at the beginning of the season but the rookie has slumped of late. Nashville claimed Brandon Yip off waivers from Colorado Thursday.

NEW JERSEY

Games this week

vs. Buffalo

Notes

Adam Henrique, who is one of the top two rookies this season along with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, returned to action on Thursday after missing two games with a groin pull. He was minus-two while playing 19:17 minutes. Patrik Elias made his 1,000th career game a more memorable one as he potted a goal and added two assists in a big New Jersey win. While he is not 100 percent sure, Martin Brodeur is leaning towards coming back next season at the ripe old age of 40. He is now a second tier goalie at best with a 14-11-1 record, a .895 save percentage and a 2.83 GAA.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Games this week

vs. Toronto, @ Toronto

Notes

The Islanders play the Maple Leafs in a home-and-home series so look for Matt Martin and Travis Hamonic to provide the muscle needed if there are any fights. Hamonic has been a gem of late with a plus-10 rating over his last four games, while averaging over 22 minutes of ice time as part of the shut down defensive pairing alongside Andrew MacDonald. John Tavares is on an 11 game scoring streak and has 46 points which is tied for 13th in the NHL. Matt Moulson is right behind him with 22 goals and 43 points as he continues to surprise me with his scoring prowess. I guess he really is for real. Rick DiPietro has a sports hernia and underwent surgery on Tuesday. He is likely gone for close to the rest of the season, if not the season.

NEW YORK RANGERS

Games this week

vs. Winnipeg

Notes

The Rangers are rested on Tuesday when they play a tired team from Winnipeg who are in Carolina Monday. The Rangers are shaking up their lineup a bit as they head into the break as they have placed Brandon Prust on the top line with Brad Richards and Brandon Dubinsky while Ryan Callahan is now playing with Brian Boyle and Ruslan Fedotenko. Dubinsky returned to action on Tuesday after missing three games with a shoulder injury. Artem Anisimov had seven goals and 22 points in his first 31 games but has been pointless in his last 13.

OTTAWA

Games this week

@ Los Angeles, @ Phoenix

Notes

The Senators will be tired when they play in Phoenix on Tuesday after spending Monday playing the Kings in Los Angeles. They are red-hot with a 10-1-1 record in their last 12 games. Kyle Turris has played really well for the Senators since his acquisition from Phoenix. He has four goals and 13 points in 16 games with a plus-13 rating and 15 penalty minutes to give Ottawa a badly needed second center. Craig Anderson was named the NHL’s first star last week and is 10-1-1 in his last 12, allowing only 20 goals in 396 shots for a save percentage of .949 and a GAA of 1.67. Jesse Winchester has been out of the lineup since December 20th with a concussion. Colin Greening potted a couple of goals on Thursday and now has seven points in his last seven games.

PHILADELPHIA

Games this week

@ Florida

Notes

Despite all the talk in Philadelphia about Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell has been a better all-around fantasy performer than the slick Flyer center. Hartnell has 20 goals, 39 points, 65 penalty minutes, nine power play goals and a plus-17 rating while Giroux has 18 goals, 50 points, 23 penalty minutes, five power play goals and a minus-one rating. No comparison in my mind and you rarely hear any talk about the great season that Hartnell is having. It appears that Sergei Bobrovsky has temporarily claimed the number one spot in goal from the slumping Ilya Bryzgalov. Sean Couturier has scored in five straight games heading into action on Thursday, including three game winners. Once again, it does not look good for Chris Pronger as he is unlikely to return this season from a concussion and his career could be over.

PHOENIX

Games this week

vs. Ottawa

Notes

The Coyotes will be rested on Tuesday when they face a tired Ottawa squad who finish up a road trip before the All-Star break by playing in Los Angeles the previous night. Gilbert Brule, who was claimed off waivers the previous week scored his first two points of the season in a 6-1 win over Colorado last Monday and then added a beautiful goal on Thursday to knot the game at two. Chris Summer has three assists in his last two home games, the first three points of his career. Kyle Chipchura has five points in his last five games and has been a fantasy asset when you add in his penalty minutes as he has played chippy of late. After starting the first 20 games of the season with an 11-6-3 mark, the Coyotes are only 10-13-5 since. As mentioned previously, Oliver Ekman-Larsson continues to impress me. He is only 20 and has been an NHL defenseman the last year-and-a-half. Chances are he will regress next season as that is what usually happens to young defensemen, but do not be surprised if he is the Coyotes best player in a couple of years. Daymond Langkow is day-to-day after taking a puck or stick to the face against the Red Wings. The Coyotes sent Cal O'Reilly to the minors on Tuesday.

PITTSBURGH

Games this week

@ St. Louis

Notes

The Penguins are a rested team Tuesday when they play the Blues who are in Detroit the previous night. Kris Letang returned to the Pittsburgh lineup on Thursday after being out of action since November 26th with a concussion and picked up an assist. The Penguins missed him on the power play. Matt Niskanen will lose power play time on the point to Letang while Ben Lovejoy will sit in the press box to make room for the Penguins top defenseman. Evgeni Malkin is atop the leader board in points with 54 despite missing seven games earlier in the season. Arron Asham is suffering from concussion-like symptoms. James Neal leads the NHL in shots on goal (193) and is tied for fourth in goals with 24 as teammate Malkin is right behind him with 187 SOG.

ST. LOUIS

Games this week

@ Detroit, vs. Pittsburgh

Notes

The Blues are tired on Tuesday when they play Pittsburgh at home after playing the Red Wings in Detroit on Monday. Alex Pietrangelo has continued his hot play of late with an eight game scoring streak, garnering three goals and 11 points in that span. Kris Russell returned to action on Thursday after missing nine games with a groin injury but Alexander Steen is still out with a concussion, although he hopes to play before the All-Star break. The Blues inked Brian Elliott to a two-year contract cementing their goaltending for the next couple of years as number one netminder Jaroslav Halak is also signed long term.

SAN JOSE

Games this week

@ Edmonton, @ Calgary

Notes

The Sharks end a swing into Western Canada with a pair of games in Alberta. They will be tired on Tuesday when they faceoff against the Calgary Flames after playing in Edmonton Monday. They sent Antero Niittymaki down to the minors on a conditioning stint. They had recalled him on December 23 but he saw no action as Antti Niemi and Thomas Greiss were the two netminders on all occasions. Ryane Clowe has a facial fracture and is unlikely to return until after the All-Star break. Good news in the minors as Alex Stalock is scheduled to return after missing almost a year with a nerve injury.

TAMPA BAY

Games this week

vs. Columbus

Notes

The Lightning will be a rested team on Tuesday when they face a tired Columbus squad who are in Nashville to play the Predators on Monday. Steve Stamkos leads the NHL in scoring with 31 goals, five ahead of Jonathan Toews. Victor Hedman has resumed light workouts and has done some light skating on his own after sustaining a concussion on December 27. There is still no timetable for his return. Marc-Andre Bergeron has missed the last three games with an upper body injury.

TORONTO

Games this week

@ New York Islanders, vs. New York Islanders

Notes

The Maple Leafs play the Islanders in a home-and-home series so look for Mike Brown and Dion Phaneuf to add to their penalty minute totals if there are fisticuffs involved. The Maple Leafs were in the midst of a three game losing streak going into Thursday’s game so they split up Joffrey Lupul and Phil Kessel and it must have worked as they defeated the Wild 4-1. Kessel and Lupul were together on the power play as Lupul set up Kessel for one of his three assists. Kessel was playing with Tyler Bozak and Matthew Lombardi whiel Lupul lined up with Tim Connolly and Nazem Kadri. It appears that Jonas Gustavsson is grabbing the lion’s share of the net as James Reimer has struggled of late.

VANCOUVER

Games this week

vs. Edmonton

Notes

The Canucks are rested when they face the Oilers this Tuesday with the Oilers being tired after playing the Sharks Monday. David Booth returned to action on Sunday and popped a goal in his second game back. Ryan Kesler was not at all happy with the comments made by coach Alain Vigneault who stated that Kesler needs to make better use of his teammates. He has only two goals and three points in his last nine games. Daniel Sedin has 21 points on the power play while twin brother Henrik Sedin has 20. Alex Burrows has 18 goals and 31 points this season but his plus-20 rating and 48 penalty minutes make him a valuable commodity in fantasy hockey.

WASHINGTON

Games this week

vs. Boston

Notes

Mike Green underwent abdominal surgery and will be out another four-six weeks. He has only played 10 games this year and was likely drafted high, so if you took him like I did in one pool, chances are you’re not doing well. GM Mike McPhee thought that Nicklas Backstrom could return from a concussion before the All-Star break but the talented center has yet to skate, so his return is iffy at this time. Alexander Semin is starting to get hot as he has 13 points in his last 15 games after a very slow start to the season that saw him pick up only 12 points in his first 26 games.

WINNIPEG

Games this week

@ Carolina, @ New York Rangers

Notes

The Jets are tired on Tuesday when they play the New York Rangers after facing Carolina Monday. Dustin Byfuglien has started skating but has not started practicing since hurting his knee on December 23. The Jets are hurting on the blueline as Zach Bogosian has also missed the last five games with an upper body injury. The good news was that on Thursday Blake Wheeler returned to the Winnipeg lineup after missing two weeks with a neck injury (well, he was struck in the throat by a puck). Wheeler has been a pleasant surprise and his return will help the Jets and fantasy owners. Evander Kane has not scored a goal in his last ten games.